The High court sitting in Kampala yesterday ordered the Chieftaincy of military intelligence (CMI) and Uganda police to unconditionally release Odongo Simon Peter an IT contractor with Internal security organization who is treating life threatening gun wounds at military hospital in Bombo, Luwero district.
Justice Michel Elubu in his ruling of this be shaming case for security forces ordered that the respondents Chief of Military Intelligence (CMI) Gen Abel Kandiho and Inspector General of police are in contempt of the court order dated 02/06/2020 ordering them to grant Odongo Simon Peter access to his doctor and advocates.
Gen Abel Kandiho, Martin Okoth Ochola were also in contempt of a court order dated June 26th, 2020 to produce Odongo Simon Peter before a competent court within 48 hours failure of which to release him unconditionally forthwith.
Court also ruled that the respondent have infringed Odongo Simon fundamental right to liberty for such a time that they amount to gross miscarriage of justice.
“The General court martial proceedings were instituted against Odongo Simon Peter outside the 48 hours period directed by court and are tainted by infringement of his fundamental rights” Justice Elubu ruled.
The judge also ruled that Simon peter Odongo is detained unreasonably and illegally and there are no justifiable reasons for his continued detention.
Justice Elubu so ordered the immediate unconditional release of Odongo Simon peter and the respondents to pay all the costs of the application.
However, Simon Peter’s relatives say when the military intelligence officials were served with the court orders, they were told that they don’t have the said Simon Odongo yet he has been admitted at the military hospital in Bombo where his family visits him.
CMI officials also told off the family to go and tell President Museveni to come and release him if they so wish or can.
It is indicated that Simon Odongo’s left leg which was shot at is now rotting and releasing pus because of the bullet fragments which have never been operated.
“They just want him to die and nothing else because they are stuck with him; they have never charged him because they don’t have what to charge him with”
“All they want is to force him to sign documents such that they take it to president Museveni as evidence to pin his employers. There is a man called Nassim who has been sweet talking Simon and persuading him to sign some documents, deceiving him that his employers dumped him and no longer care about him but this is all aimed at breaking his spirit in order to tell lies about his bosses”.
The family says it has been frustrated adding that they even approached human rights lawyer Nicholas Opio of Chapter 4 was also intimidated and told that Simon can only be released after signing some document which will be taken to the president.
An authority at Internal Security Organization (ISO) also says they have never received any communication from their Mbuya counterparts on issues related to Simon Odongo including the crime he committed.
“We have never received any communication from them about Odongo’s situation and what crime he committed because he has never been charged in any courts.
It is reported that there is a senior rogue security officer who is interfering with the court process not to release Odongo who is on his death bed.
Simon Peter Odongo was arrested this year from his home by a combined force of police detectives and officers from Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) all attached to Special Investigations (SID) base in Kireka.
According to his family, when arresting officers raided his home in the morning at 8:00 am, Odongo never put up resistance. One of the officers came with an AK 47 riffle which he put behind a fridge. His wife tried to ask them why they were putting the gun behind the fridge yet the husband had handed over the two guns which were legally given to him by the security agency he was working for.
Then one of the officers who had identified himself as an operative from CMI pulled out a pistol and shot him on the leg aiming at a main blood vessel taking blood to the heart.
“It was very heartbreaking because Simon’s children were seeing the shooting of their dad, they cried, they asked him why he shot their dad who even at the time was sick, but the officer was arrogant and boastful,” the family intimates.
The family maintains that the police officer who shot was a one D/ASP Benon Ayebare a police detective attached to SIU Kireka.
